System Analysis of the Historical Change of the River Leader System: Based on the Perspective of Historical Institutionalism

doi:10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2020.04.010

Abstract

Abstract:

In the process of implementing the River Leader System, some problems have emerged regarding its progress and effects. From the perspective of historical institutionalism, the historical change process of the River Leader System was revealed in this paper. There were two key nodes in the historical change progress of the River Leader System. In 2014, the river leader system promotion was transferred from the local government to the Ministry of Water Resources. In 2016, the River Leader System was recognized by the central government and implemented nationwide. The historical change process of the River Leader System can be divided into three periods: the creation and formation period, the pilot and diffusion period, and the promotion and strengthening period. The change in the river and lake problems was an important driving force for the historical change of the River Leader System. A path dependent phenomenon was mainly reflected in the policy diffusion scope, problem orientation, main tasks and management methods. At present, there are some shortcomings in the River Leader System, such as a lack of inter-provincial coordination, imperfect evaluation mechanism, poorly coordinated management tasks, and insufficient public participation. To solve these problems, some policy recommendations are put forward. In the short term, the River Leader System will be continuously improved and strengthened. In the long term, it will be transformed into the integrated watershed management system.

Key words: River Leader System, historical institutionalism, historical change, development trend

ZHENG Shihao, QIN Haibo, LI Yingming, HAO Liang, GUO Fengyuan, ZHANG Conglin. System Analysis of the Historical Change of the River Leader System: Based on the Perspective of Historical Institutionalism[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2020, 11(4): 414-424.

Figures/Tables 2

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Period	Diffusion scope	Water problem	Main task	Management methods
Creation and formation	Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province	Water environment problem	Organizing and leading the implementation of water environment comprehensive treatment plan, coordinating and resolving contradictions and problems in work, and implementing plans, projects, funds, and responsibilities	Administrative method, including: planning, supervision, management, etc.
Pilot and diffusion	25 provinces	Water resources, water environment, water ecology and water disaster problems	Improving the system of laws and regulations, establishing the restraint mechanism of planning, innovating the management mechanism of rivers and lakes, registering rights of shorelines, establishing the compensation system for occupied shoreline, regulating the approval of river-related construction projects and activities, prohibiting river-related illegal activities, strengthening daily inspections, cracking down on illegal behaviors, and strengthening dynamic monitoring of rivers and lakes management	Legislative, executive and market methods
Promotion and strengthening	31 provinces	Water resources, water environment, water ecology and water disaster problems	Strengthening the water resources protection, strengthening the shoreline management and protection of rivers and lakes, implementing space management of rivers and lakes, strengthening water pollution prevention and control, improving water environment treatment, strengthening water ecological restoration, strengthening law enforcement supervision	Legislative, executive, market and public participation methods

Period	Diffusion scope	Water problem	Main task	Management methods
Creation and formation	Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province	Water environment problem	Organizing and leading the implementation of water environment comprehensive treatment plan, coordinating and resolving contradictions and problems in work, and implementing plans, projects, funds, and responsibilities	Administrative method, including: planning, supervision, management, etc.
Pilot and diffusion	25 provinces	Water resources, water environment, water ecology and water disaster problems	Improving the system of laws and regulations, establishing the restraint mechanism of planning, innovating the management mechanism of rivers and lakes, registering rights of shorelines, establishing the compensation system for occupied shoreline, regulating the approval of river-related construction projects and activities, prohibiting river-related illegal activities, strengthening daily inspections, cracking down on illegal behaviors, and strengthening dynamic monitoring of rivers and lakes management	Legislative, executive and market methods
Promotion and strengthening	31 provinces	Water resources, water environment, water ecology and water disaster problems	Strengthening the water resources protection, strengthening the shoreline management and protection of rivers and lakes, implementing space management of rivers and lakes, strengthening water pollution prevention and control, improving water environment treatment, strengthening water ecological restoration, strengthening law enforcement supervision	Legislative, executive, market and public participation methods

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